Method of perfecting combustion.



W. J. PAUL, J. H. LYNCH Sz-J. G. MEYER.

METHOD 0F PERFEGTING GOMBUSTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 30, 1910.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

DLUMBIA PLANOCIAPM C0.. WASHINGTON, D. C.y

UNTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J'. PAUL, JOHN H. LYNCH, AND JAMES G. MEYER, 0F MATTEAWAN, NEW

' YORK.

METHOD OF PERFECTING COMBUSTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 19, 1911.

Application led August 30, 1910. Serial No. 579,739.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that We, WILLIAM J. PAUL, JOHN H. LYNCH, and JAMES G. MEYER, citizens of the United States, residing at Matteawan, in thecounty of Dutchess and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Perfecting Combustion, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to a method of`prometing combustion, the object being to economize fuel, and to utilize products of combustion which escape as Waste in furnaces of ordinary construction.

The improved method, broadly stated, consists in passing the unconsumed gases resulting from primary combustion, through tubes wherein said gases are maintained against expansion, and submitted to the heat of said tubes, which are in an incandescent state due to the ignition of the gases in their passage through the tubes, and retaining the gases Within the tubes throughout their entire length, thus insuring a substantially perfect combustion within the area of the tubes.

The method further consists in directing the products of primary combustion from the furnace through a bank of continuous, unbroken, unobstructed, imperforate, noncommunicating combustion and heat radiating tubes, flues or like passages, preferably arranged longitudinally, which tubes or flues receive the products of primary combustion, confine them Within their area throughout their entire length, bringing the gases into intimate relation and maintaining such intimate relation throughout the entire length and area of the tubes or flues; the said gases, so confined, are ignited. by the heat from the furnace, the combustion produced thereby heats the tubes or flues to a high temperature, thereby producing combustion Within the area of the said tubes or flues and throughout their entire length, highly heating the gases from the furnace passing into them, burning the same, and thereby consuming the inflammable gases.

While our method may be carried out in furnaces and ovens of various types, We have shown in the accompanying drawing a tubular boiler furnace, in Which:-

Figure l is a view in perspective, partly broken away, of a return tubular boiler furnace, embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The reference numeral l designates a boiler supported in the usual manner by the furnace walls above the grate 2, and the bridge-wall, 3.

On the bridge-Wall, 3, Within the space usually termed combustion chamber and which in an ordinary furnace is an open, unobstructed space or chamber, are located a bank of tubes, ll, constructed of fire clay, or other suitable material. These tubes or lues are arranged as shown, longitudinally of the boiler and parallel thereto and directly within the line of draft from the tire-box. The gases from the furnace thus pass into a bank of continuous, unbroken, unobstructed, imperforate, non-communicating combustion and heat radiating tubes, (lues or like passages, which tubes or iues receive the said gases, confine them within their area throughout their entire length, bringing the gases into intimate relation and maintaining such intimate relation throughout the entire length and area of the tubes or flues; the said gases so confined and ignited by the heat from the furnace, the combustion produced thereby heats the tubes or tlues to a high temperature, thereby producing combustion Within the area of the said tubes or flues and throughout their entire length, highly heating the gases from the furnace passing into them, and this heating of the tubes or filles results in the conversion of all inflammable gases and substances into heat units.

Our experiments have demonstrated that the combustion of all gases and vapors, Within the incandescent tubes, renders the discharge from the furnace stack smokeless, only non-inflammable gases remaining after the passage of the furnace gases into the tubes.

We desire it to be understood that one of the important features of our invention resides in the fact, that the tubes or flues 4L, serve both as combustion and heat radiating tubes or flues, hence the body to be heated being exposed, said body is subjected to the radiant heat therefrom, and the tubes or flues are of such length as to insure substantially complete combustion Within the area thereof.

lVbile it is not desired to confine the invention to any specific means of supporting the tubes, or to any special form of tubes or longitudinal passages, the tubes and supports therefor, shovvn in the drawings, have been found practicable for efficient service for boiler furnaces.

The supports of the tubes, as shown in the drawing, are shown as resting upon the bottom of the combustion chamber, but in actual practice, the combustion chamber may be entirely filled up to a point level, or nearly level, With the bridge-Wall, and the supports of the tubes rest upon such foundation.

The entire volume of gases from the furnace pass into the bank of incandescent tubes or fines thereby converting` the furnace gases into a fixed gas, which is immediately distributed through the boiler-tubes, retaining its high heat value throughout the distribution over the radiating surfaces in passing to the stack.

ln describing the tubes or flues 4 as continuous, unbroken, unobstructed, imperforate, non-communicating combustion and heat radiating tubes, tlues or like passages,

we Wish it to be understood that there are no openings of any kind or nature in the said tubes, except those openings at either end of the tubes through which the said gases enter and leave the said tubes or liues, and that the gases passing thereinto have an unobstructed passage therethrough and are not permitted to expand through any hole or openings in the surface of the said tubes or flues during their passage through the said tubes or flues, and it is this feature of the invention that produces the desired results,

as an expansion of the gases, except in the manner above set forth, necessarily results in the lowering of the flame temperature, a result which the present construction avoids. It will be perceived that the tubes or flues are imperforate; that they do not communicate one With another; further, it Will be seen that these tubes or flues are of the same cross-sectional area throughout their length and through which the gases must freely flow.

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 'Patent isrlhe method of combustion, which consists in eifecting primary combustion, combining oxygen with the unconsumed gases resulting from the primary combustion, separating the combined gases into a plurality of distinct bodies, causing said distinct bodies to flow through a zone of secondary combustion, maintaining said gases against expansion during combustion, continuing them Within said zone of secondary combustion for such a length of time as Will produce substantially complete combustion, radiating a portion of the heat of secondary combustion to the body to be heated, and applying a portion of the heat thus generated to the separated bodies of gases to promote and continue combustion thereof Within said Zone of secondary combustion.

WILLIAJM J. PAUL. JOHN H. LYNCH. JAMES Gr. MEYER. In presence of R. J YOUNG, J. H. LYNCH, Jr.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, '.D. C. 

